David and Jonathan had a deep and long-standing friendship that contained an oath that each would be loyal to the other, despite the fact that their kingdoms were at odds. Saul, Jonathan’s father, was the first king over Israel while David would be the second. God had chosen David as a king that would carry with him God’s own heart for his people.
Despite the fact that David carried with him the victories over his enemies and had solidly established his kingdom over Israel, he hadn’t forgotten his oath to Jonathan. David remained loyal to the house of Saul because of his relationship with Jonathan, so in inquiring about those that remained, well after Saul and Jonathan, along with his other brothers, had died in battle, David still remembered his oath to Jonathan.
David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”
2 Samuel 9:1
David learned that, in fact, there was still one person, a son of Jonathan, who was living in a small town. He was lame in both feet and unable to walk. His family had been destroyed and disgraced and he had been left behind. Yet David called him, restored him to the king’s table at a place of honor, and was given all of the land that was originally apportioned to his family in the kingdom of Saul.
David’s grace, mercy, and loyalty are astounding. He was the king and his kingdom was well-established, but yet he was not only exhibiting grace to the family of the former king, but even lifting Mephibosheth’s status in inviting him to the royal table. Mephibosheth had nothing to offer David. He couldn’t even walk. But David lifted him up and honored him as a result of his friendship nonetheless.
This is one of the evidences that God said David was a man after his own heart. Normal men who think of themselves first, and typically think of themselves only, would attempt to completely destroy their enemies. Kings do not offer grace to other kings, and they want to make sure that their reign is secure, so they will wipe out any evidence of other kings that had come before them. But David does not do that. He, instead, honors his oath of loyalty and lives by what he has said that he would do.
In a similar way, God does the same thing for each of us. We are all, in one way or another, like Mephibosheth. Spiritually speaking, we are lame. We are not able to walk. Before God, we cannot stand. Instead, we have been hobbled by our own sin.
Yet God calls us also to his banquet table. Jesus says that we will one day eat with him at that table as people who have been remembered, who have been given grace and mercy. God remains loyal to his covenant, the new covenant signed by the blood of Christ: He is our God and we are his people, and like Mephibosheth in David’s kingdom, we also have been invited into the kingdom of God.